A North Vancouver District firefighter has returned from Ukraine, where he was teaching emergency medicine.
Jared Reynolds, who is also a Canadian veteran, spent ten days in Ukraine teaching combat-casualty care to Ukrainian first responders and medical officials.
The medical training teaches immediate medical techniques that keep victims alive until higher levels of medical care can be provided.
His experience as a veteran spurred him into action.
“Part of it is, after I experienced war as a veteran and seeing the (Russian invasion) on TV, it stuck with me… this is the closest thing to World War II in my lifetime. It’s a country that is being invaded and I don’t feel like the world is doing enough,” he told Global News.
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“I am just going to continue to (help) as long as I can.”
It is not the first trip to the Eastern European region for Reynolds since the start of the war. He has been part of a number of trips that have sent a full field hospital, two large sea-cans full of winter clothing, and a trip with hundreds of pounds of medical equipment.
He is volunteering with the group Firefighter Aid Ukraine. The group was created in 2014 and works with volunteer brigades in Ukraine.
It has delivered more than 140 tons of life rescue, and health-care aid over the last decade.
Reynolds said that he is planning on another trip next year, to provide more life-saving medical training.
“It makes you really appreciate what we have here in Canada,” Reynolds said.
Those who wish to donate to the cause can visit the Firefighter Aid Ukraine website.
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